Laundry apparatus



y 5, 1962 G. D. CONLEE 3,034,226

LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1 64 l i I I I I I l 1 63 57 I INVENIOR.

GEO RGE D. CONLEE ATTORNEY y 1962 G. D. CONLEE 3,034,226

LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 15, 1962 G. D. CONLEE 3,034,226

LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. GEORGE D. CONLEE @ZMW ATTO R N EY May 15, 1962 G. D. CONLEE 3,034,226

LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 33 i A J L33 INVENTOR.

GEORGE D. CONLEE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,034,225 LAUNDRY APPARATUS George D. Coulee, Ripon, Wis, assignor to McGraw- Edison Company, Miiwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 696,225 9 Claims. (Cl. 34133) the fastening means at the rear panel and removal of the I rear panel. The fastening devices holding the front, top and side panels together are only accessible from the interior of the housing. Conventional domestic laundry machines are designed to be positioned with the rear panel adjacent a Vertical wall from which water and power facilities are available, and connection between the laundry machine and said water and power facilities are made by flexible conduits so that the machine can be moved relative to the vertical wall. The machine must be level to assure satisfactory functioning of the laundry apparatus. Whenever the machine is moved away from said vertical room wall, the machine must again be leveled to assure satisfactory functioning of the laundry apparatus. Consequently, repair of components within the casing or inspection, adjustment, or replacement of the control devices is difiicult and time consuming, and as a result costly, in that the laundry machine must first be moved away from the wall, the fastening devices for the rear panel unthreaded, and the rear panel removed before access can be gained to components within the casing, and subsequently the rear panel must be fastened in place, the laundry machine moved against the wall and leveled before it is ready for use.

In the case of gas drying machines, the gas which is normally burned is highly explosive when mixed with ambient air, and it is, therefore, important from the standpoint of the safety of the user to be able to inspect the gas connections of the gas burner and its associated compo nents while they are connected to a source of supply. As a result ordinances and regulations in some localities require the inspection of these connections after installation of the machine. This cannot be accomplished with conventional gas driers because these connections cannot be inspected without disconnecting the machine from the source of gas supply, moving it from the wall containing the gas pipe, and removing the rear panel.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a domestic laundry machine which is simple and practical in construction and which facilitates ready installation and repair.

It is a further object to provide a domestic laundry machine with a housing having a hinged top panel which may easily be opened to provide access to components and control devices within the casing.

3,034,226 Patented May 15, 1962 It is a further object of the invention to provide a domestic laundry apparatus wherein a hinged top panel cooperates with laundering chambers within the housing to form a continuous watertight passage when the top panel is closed.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a domestic laundry machine which permits access to components and control devices within the casing without the necessity of moving the machine away from the wall and removing the rear panel as was required with prior art devices.

It is an object of one embodiment of the invention to provide a domestic washing machine having a hinged top panel provided with a door which permits access to a clothes tub within the housing and said top panel cooperates with the housing to form a watertight chamber sursounding said clothes tub.

It is an object of another embodiment of the invention to provide a domestic laundry drying machine wherein the hinged top panel contains an extension of the drying air duct from the clothes receiving housing of said machine and said top panel cooperates with the housing to form a continuous duct for discharge of drying air to the atmosphere.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a domestic laundry machine embodying the invention;

vFlG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another domestic laundry machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the domestic laundry machine of FIG. 1 and showing a side view of the means forming a pivotal connection;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the domestic laundry machine of FIG. 1 and showing a top view of the means forming a pivotal connection;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the domestic laundry machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the means for forming a watertight passage;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the domestic laundry machine showing a top view of a modification of the means forming a pivotal connection;

FIG, 7 is a partial detail sectional view of the domestic laundry machine shown in FIG. 2 showing the means for forming a continuous watertight passage; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the domestic laundry device shown in FIG. 2 wherein the cover is pivoted.

A clothes laundering machine embodying the invention shown in FIG. 1 has an external, generally cubicle casing, provided with front and side panels 2 and 4,

preferablyof sheet metal, joined together by suitable means (not shown) and enclosing a rotatable clothes It is a further object to provide such a machine having I a hinged top panel which carries laundry apparatus control elements and which permits electrical power connections to be maintained to a motor within the housing when the cover is pivoted between open and closed positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a domestic laundry apparatus housing having a hinged top panel wherein the means for securing the panel in closed position are easily accessible from the exterior of the housing.

receiving tub 6. The casing 1 also has a cover 7, preferably of sheet metal, disposed above the front and side panels 2 and 4 and forming with them a generally cubical casing. The cover 7 is formed with depending front, side and rear walls 8, 9, and 10, respectively, from which horizontal flanges 12 extend inward toward the interior of the casing 1. The cover 7 is provided with an opening 13 which allows the insertion of clothes into the tub 6, and a metal door 15 is arranged over the opening l3. The cover 7 is pivotally attached atone end to the casing l by a pair of oifset hinges 16 afiixed to a channel cross brace 18, the ends of which are secured by bolts 19 to pivotally connects leaves 21 and 22. Leaf 21 is aflixed bysuitable means such as screws 25 to a flange 12 extendably of sheet metal, forming a chamber 34} for collecting.

water discharged from the tub 6. The upperend of drain tub 29 is open and has a reduced diameter neck portion 31 7 provided with peripheral rim 32. A continuous resilient gasket 33 mounted on rim 32 is compressed between cover 7 is closed'to form a fiuid-tight'seal between the drain tub 29 and thecover 7 at ordinary operating pressures, and also to form, with the neck portion 31, a fluid-tight passage between the interior of chamber and the opening 13. The gasket 33 has a pair of depending legs 34.

which fit snugly against the sides of the neck portion 31 "and a longitudinal hollow portion 35 having avnotch 69 in'either side which allows the gasket to deform in order to compensate formanufacturing tolerances in the machine. .The upper edge of the gasket 33 has a plurality of corrugations 70, each of which forms an individual seal upon contact with the cover 7. When cover 7 is closed, the inwardly extending, horizontal cover flanges 12 are disposed above inwardly extending flanges 28 at the upper end of the front .andside panels 2 and 4, and

a plurality of compliant members 41,softn'1bber'for example, are mounted in spaced apart relation around the horizontal flanges T28 of the front, rear and side panels 2, 3 and 4 so that the cover 7 in closed position is resiliently supported by thecompliant members 41 and the gasket 33.

Referring now to FIG.'3 whichshows the cover securing means in greater detail, a pair of angle brackets 37 each having an aperture 38 are secured bysu'itable means such 'a'sscre'ws 39 to the outer, side of a rear panel 3. A nut 46 is suitably secured to the lower side of the horizontal leg 49 ofeach of the brackets 37 and around opening 38. A control housing 40, preferably formed of sheet metal,is mountedion the rear of the cover 7 and extends beyond the rear panel 3. The control housing has ront, top, rear and bottom walls 42, 43,44 and 45, respectively. Further, the control housing 40 rests upon an upwardly extending embossing 47 formed in the cover 7 and is secured to cover 7 by suitable means such as screws 48.

An elongated support member 50 secured by suitable means :such as spot welding (not shown) to the inward face of the rear wall 44 of control housing 40 has an opening 51 lengthwise .therethrough in register with an aperture 38 inbracket 37, when the cover is closed, and also with an aperture "58 in the top wall 43 of the control 32 and cover 7 and with compliant members 41 compressed between inwardly extending flanges 12 and 28 on cover 7 and front, side, and rear panels of easing 1. Access to bolt 53 is obtained through opening 58 in top wall 43 of control housing 40. A spring-held plug 56 normally closes opening58. V 7

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a power cable '57 having a suitable plug14 permitting connection to a suitable source of electricalpower enters the control housing 40 through anopening 58in the rear wall 44 and protected from i a the edges defining opening 58 by a grommet 59. The

cable 57 then extends to a terminal board (not shown) adjacent the point of entry of .cable57, and individual conductors (not shown) extend from theterminal board I to-the various control elements mounted on the front 7 4 wall 42 of the instrument housing 40. The return conductors 68 and 69 extend from the control elements '67 back to a point adjacent the terminal board where they are formed into a cable 57a which then extends down through the cover 7 and then along one depending side 9 of the cover 7 above inwardly turned horizontal flange 12 to the front sloping face 9 of the cover 7 and then down toward front casing panelZ where it is attached by clip 61 at a point adjacent the hinge 16. The cable 57 then runs to a'motor 63 supported on a suitable mounting frame 64 and which actuates tub 6 through suitable power transmitting means such as a belt 65. The cable can also service any or all of the other electrical components (not shown) of the device which are located below the cover, for example, electromagnetic means which determine cycling of the device and which of themselves are well known in the art. Elements 67 which control, for example, the speed and length'of time which the clothes washing machine will run, and the various water valve settings are thereby interposed in cable 5757a between the source of power on the one hand and the motor and other electrical components in the casing on the other.

When the washing machine requires servicing, the cover 7 may be opened by removing plug 56 and upthreading bolt53 from nut 46. Since cable 57a is connected to the frontpanel 2 ate point adjacent the hinge 16, the cover 7 and the cable 57:: move as a unit when the cover is pivoted. This allows power to be maintained while the machine is being serviced. When servicing has been completed, the cover'is closed and bolt 53 is turned by suitable means such as a screwdriver through opening 53 until bolt 53 thread-ably engages nut 46 secured to bracket-37. Gasket member 33 is then compressed betweenrim32 and cover 7, thereby reestablishing the fluidtight seal. v i

If access to the components of the machine disposed below the drain tub .29.is desired withoutmoving the machine, the front panel-2 can also be pivotally mounted on the casing. In this embodiment of the invention, shown in detail in FIG. 6, a third'pair of leaf members 23 identical to leaf members 21 are disposed at the inner edge of leaf members 22 and secured to the inwardly extending liange'ZS of front face 2 by means of screws 27. The front and side panels are secured near their lower edges by means ofa pair of securing means identical with those used to secure the cover to the casing. More specifically, a bracket 36 is attached to the sidewall 4 by any suitable means such as welding (not shown), and an elongated support member 52 is attached to the inner side of the rearwardly extending portion 2a of front'panel'z. A bolt 54 cooperates with bracket 36 and support member 52 in the same manner as do members 53, 37 and 50 discussed above with respect to cover securing means. Opening 60, which allows access to bolt 54, is normally closed by spring held plug 55.

The laundry appliance shown in FIG. 2. is another embodiment of the invention. More specifically, it is a clothes drying machine having-an internal clothes receiving drum mounted by means (not shown) forrotation about a horizontal axis and enclosed a generally cubical ,casing' 1 having front, rear, and sidepanels 2', 3' and 4', respectively, and a'pivotally mounted cover 7. Many of the components of the clothes drier embodimentof FIG} are similar to those of the clothes and the detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

The cover 7' is connected to the casing 1' by a pair of hinges 16 similar to those of the embodiment of FIG. Land at the side of the cover 7. opposite the hinges a 16' are a pair of cover securing bolts 53'; A cable 57' enters the control housing 40' and extends around the interior of the cover 7' in a manner similar to that described with respect to the washing machine embodying the invention.

A door 81 provided in the front panel 3' allows access to a drying chamber 82 partially defined by a clothes receiving drum 75. The door 81 has a continuous outer wall 84 and a circular portion 85 of appreciable axial depth which extends into drum 75 through opening 86 when door 81 is closed. The inner wall 87 of door 81 spaced axially from outer wall 84 is formed with a multiplicity of perforations 88, and the annular wall portion 89 of door 81 connecting the inner and outer walls 84 and 87 is provided with a radial opening 91.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, the casing cover 7 has an opening 93 formed therein, and a fluid-tight conduit 94 connects the drying drum 75 with the opening 93 in the cover 7' when the cover is closed. The conduit 7 94 is divided into a first portion in the cover 7 and a second portion in the casing 1'. The upper portion comprises member 96 shown as being of rectangular cross section supported by suitable means (not shown) on the cover 7 and surrounding opening 93. The lower portion of the conduit 94 includes an impeller housing 97, a first portion 100 extending parallel to the axis of drum 75 positioned between the drum 75 and one side panel 4', and a second portion 101 disposed between drum 75 and the front panel 2' and registering with radial opening 91 in door 81 when the door 81 is closed. The drying drum 75, the lower portion of the conduit portion 94 and the door 81 comprise the drying chamber 82. The outlet vent 103 of impeller housing 97 registers with the upper conduit 96 when cover 7' is closed, and is formed with a peripheral rim 104 carrying a continuous resilient gasket 105 of U-shaped cross section. The lower edge of the upper conduit portion 96 is of the same configuration as rim 104 and gasket 105 and has a lip portion 107, and when cover 7' is closed the portion 96 compresses gasket 104 against rim 103 and forces lip portion 107 into a horizontal position to provide a continuous fluidtight passage between chamber 82 and the opening 93 in the cover. A plurality of compliant members 41' are mounted between the cover 7' and inwardly extending horizontal flanges 28' on the side, front, and rear walls of the casing 1' in a manner similar to that described for the embodiment of FIG. 1.

A suction fan 106 in impeller housing 97 draws air through openings 108 in the rear panel 3' of the casing 1', through a heat exchanger 107, through openings 109 in the rear wall of drum 75, through perforations 08 in door 81, through radial opening 91 and conduit portions 100 and 101 and then out through upper conduit portion 96.

The electrical cable 57a is connected to a motor 63 which is drivingly connected to drum '75 and fan 106 by suitable power transmission means, such as a belt 109. The cable can also service any or all of the other electrical components (not shown) which are disposed below the cover, for example thermostats, safety devices, and lights, all of which are conventional in the art.

The disposition of cable 57 allows the cover 7 to be opened when servicing is necessary while maintaining the power connection, and gasket 105 allows the conduit 94 to be resealed when the cover is closed, both in the same manner as discussed with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

The components of the drying machine heretofore discussed are identical for both gas and electrically heated driers. The drying machine shown in FIG. 8 is a gas heated machine and shows the disposition of the gas burner and its associated components, all of which are well known in the art. More specifically, gas inlet pipe 121 is connected to a shut-elf valve 122 which is disposed between the inlet and the remainder of the gas burner components, which includes valve 123 responsive to pilot burner temperature and which shuts 00? the flow of gas when the pilot burner 128 is out, a gas pressure regulator 124, a magnetic valve 125 responsive to drum temperature and which regulates the flow of gas to the burner 126. Valves 123 and 125 are actuated by thermocouples (not shown) in a manner well known in the art. Pilot burner 128 is connected to the inlet ahead of valves 123 and 125 by means of bypass conduit 129. A shield 120, preferably of sheet metal, sets the gas burner components ofl from'the remainder of easing 1', while an opening 130 in the cover 7' allows observation of the pilot burner 128 when the cover is closed. It can be seen from FIG. 8 that the burner components and all the connections therebetween can be inspected, adjusted and/ or repaired after the machine has been installed and the inlet 121 has been connected to the source of supply, which would not be the case were it necessary to disconnect the inlet 121 and move the machine in order to reach these components.

It will be appreciated that in both embodiments of the invention the bolt means 53 for securing the casing cover are accessible from the exterior of the casing by means of opening 58 and plug 56, thus permitting the hinged cover to be opened and providing access to components within the casing for inspection and repair without the necessity of moving the laundering machine away from the room wall and removing the rear panel as was required with prior art devices. 'It will also be apparent that in both embodiments a hinged cover 7 having an aperture therethrough cooperates with means in the casing 1 to define a fluid-tight chamber which is only open from the exterior of the casing through the aperture in the cover.

It is understood that the devices discussed above are merely the preferred embodiments of the invention and that other modifications are possible which embody the inventive concept.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a laundry appliance the combination of a casing and a cover for said casing having an opening formed therein, means adjacent one side of said casing for pivot allymounting said cover thereon, means defining a chamber mounted in said casing and having an open end, fluid tight passage means disposed in said" casing and connecting the open end of said chamber and the opening in said cover when said cover is in its normal closed position relative to said casing, electrically operated fluid actuating means mounted in said casing and including an electric motor, an electric conductor mounted in said cover and constructed and arranged to be connected to a source of electrical energy, said conductor also being connected to said motor and extending from said cover to said motor adjacent the pivotal axis of said cover whereby said cover may be pivoted to open position exposing the interior of said casing without interference by said cable, control means mounted on said cover adjacent the other side of said casing and connected in said cable between the source of energy and said motor.

2. A laundry appliance as set forth in claim 1 wherein the opening in said chamber is disposed toward said cover and wherein said fluid tight passage means surrounds said opening, said electrically operated actuating means also including a washing chamber disposed within said chamber and operatively connected to said motor for actuation thereby.

3. A laundry appliance as set forth in claim 2 wherein the open end of said chamber is provided with a continuous rim and wherein the fluid tight passage means comprises said rim and a continuous resilient gasket means mounted between said rim and said cover, said resilient gasket means being'compressed between said rim and said cover when the cover is in the closed position.

4. A laundry appliance as set forth in claim 3 and including a plurality of complaint members spaced apart with respect to each other sand mounted between said coverand said casing whereby the cover issupportediby said compliant members and'said resilient member.

5. The laundry appliance as set forth in claim 1 Wherein' said chamber defining means includes a clothes drying drum'rotatably mounted in said casing and spaced therefrom, said clothes drying drum being coupled to said motor and adapted to be actuated thereby, said electric actuating means including fan means mounted in said casing for causing fluid to circulate between said chamber and the opening'in said cover.

6. The laundry appliance as set forth in claim 1 Wherein said fluid tight passage includes conduit means connected at one end to said clothes drying drum and the other end registered with said opening in the cover and having a continuous rim disposed adjacent said cover, and wherein said passage means includes continuous resilient gasket means compressed between said rim and said cover when the cover is in the closed position.

7. In a laundry appliance, the combination of, a casing, a cover for said casing having an opening formed therein, mounting means ailixed at one side of said casing for pivotally supporting said cover thereon, means forming a chamber disposed within said casing and having an open end, means disposed between said open end and the opening in said cover for forming a 'fiuid type passage therebetween when said cover is in its normally closed position with respect to said casing, an electrical conductor disposed under said cover and being constructed and-arranged to be connected to a source of electrical-'energ electrically operated means disposed in said casing for actuating fluid in said chamber and including an electric motor, said conductor being connected to said motor, control means mounted in said cover adjacent the opposite side of said casing and electrically connected in said conductor between said motor and the 'sourceof electricalenergy, saidconductor extending from said cover to said motor at a point adjacent said mounting means whereby electrical continuity may be maintained when said cover-is pivoted away from said casing-to expose the interior thereof and said control means. I

8. A laundry appliance having a casing including .a

cover, mounting means affixed atone side of said casing for .pivotally supporting said cover thereon, an elec-f trical conductor disposed under said cover and constructed and arranged to be connected to a source of electrical enelectric motor for actuating said clothes receiving means, a door in said casing adjacent the open end of said clothes receiving means for providing access thereto, control means mounted on said cover adjacent the opposite side of said causing and connected in said conductor between the source of electrical energy and said electric motor, said conductor extending from said conductor to said motoriat a position adjacent said mounting means whereby said cover may be pivoted to an open position exposing the interior of said casing and said control means Without interference by said conductor.

9:. A laundry appliance having a casing, said casing including a cover,'hinge means afiixed to said casing adjacent one side thereof for pivotally mounting said cover thereon, rotatable clothes receiving means having an opening therein, electrically operated means disposed within said casing for actuating-said clothes receiving means, a door in said casing adjacent the opening in said clothes receiving means for providing access thereto, an electric cable mounted in said casing and connected at one end to said actuating means and constructed andarranged to be connected at its other end to a source of electrical energy, and control means for said actuating means mounted in said cover adjacent an oppositeside of said casing for pivotal movement'therewi-th, said control means being connected in said cable for controlling said actuating means, wherebysaid control means may be pivoted in said cover away from said casing.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,036 Greene Aug. 4, 1925 1,755,539 Gerosa Apr. 22, 1930 1,883,464 Ball Aug. 14, 1934 2,201,685 Lorenzen May 21, 1940 2,247,028 Kuntz June 24, 1941 2,253,700 Graham Aug 26, 1941 2,492,506 Stinnett Dec. 27, 1949 2,517,421 Geldhoe Aug. 1, 1950 2,617,203' Murray .2 Nov. 11, 1952 2,665,414 Hubacker et al. Jan. 5, 1954 2,679,112 Thompson May 25, 1954 2,687,633 Sharp Aug. 31, 1954 2,737,729 Engel -2 Marv 13, 1956 2,778,000 Mills Ian. 15, 1957 2,827,276 Racheter Mar. 18, 1958 

